Archive for the ‘America’s Prettiest Towns’ Category

Lanesboro is well known for an abundant arts scene, usually having more things to do on any given weekend than most towns of our size. That can be attributed to the extraordinary number of talented people in our community. While the Commonweal Theatre prepares for its upcoming season kickoff with a preview of Mary’s Wedding on March 19, 2015.

A new offering is Idle Time Recreation’s Open Mic night on the first Friday of the month, 7:00-9:00 pm in the Loft at Beste Byen. Music, poetry and short stories have been much appreciated by the audience so far, with the promise of more to come every month as this event grows. Suggested $5.00 donation at the door, performers are encouraged to preregister. Snacks, coffee, tea and soft drinks are available for purchase, and guests may bring their own wine or beer.

The Lanesboro Community Theatre will be presenting ‘Almost, Maine‘ at the St. Mane Theatre on March 6th-8th, with a preview show at the Chatfield Center for the Arts on February 27-28. The cast and crew features many local residents, and truly showcases why Lanesboro has talent galore!

Even though we are still experiencing some of the coldest weather of the winter season, we are pleased to note that there are signs of spring popping up in Lanesboro already in the form of planning for a number of spring and summer events! Here are a few ideas for your spring travel plans and ideas.

Lanesboro Arts kicks off the season with the always humorous Over the Back Fence variety radio show on March 13, 2015 at 7:30 pm at the St. Mane Theatre. The first show will be an entertaining romp through the 1980’s. I hear “big hair” will be back in style for the night!

The Commonweal Theatre’s Ibsen Festival offers The Master Builder in a celebration of Scandinavian theatre, art, music and dance…people are still talking about last year’s offering of Brand! We encourage you to join us April 17-19 to experience theatre at its best!

The Bluff Country Studio Arts Tour provides an opportunity to visit some of the area’s finest artists in their studios from April 24-26, plus enjoy a beautiful drive through the scenic backroads of Bluff Country on a fine spring weekend!

The month of May brings a plethora of activities, including the Lanesboro Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings from 9:00 am to noon, the nationally known Whalan Stand-Still Parade (video above) on May 16th, and the annual Bluff Country Gathering May 14-17.

Plan ahead to join us, bring your bikes, kayaks, canoes, tubes and your desire to enjoy a fun and unique time in Lanesboro this spring!

I am inclined to be like a bear in winter…my thoughts are that near-hibernation is a necessity to survive the cold, bleak winter months, and there’s little or nothing that can convince me it is worthwhile to do much beyond sitting around and waiting for the warmth of spring to arrive. I was recently asked why I haven’t just up and moved south to avoid winter if it is so distasteful to me. I answered that I loved Minnesota, but just hadn’t found any winter activities that I enjoyed enough to get me out of the house. Most of the previous attempts I had made to try winter activities hadn’t ended well…downhill skiing resulted in broken body parts after a fall, snowmobiling resulted in a crash that knocked me (and a tooth) out, ice fishing usually resulted in cold toes and very few fish. I have officially started to move into the ‘bah, humbug’ mode as a result.

Still, I remain determined to find something/anything that can get me outdoors in the wintertime. One of the residents in Lanesboro suggested I try cross country skiing, specifically at the Whalan Candlelight Ski on February 7th, 2015 at 5:00 pm. I was assured that skiing the beautiful Root River Trail by candlelight would make me a believer in the wonders of wintertime in Minnesota. Worst case scenario, the promise of some hot chocolate, a warm bowl of homemade soup, and a bonfire at either end of the lighted trail section is enough to get me to at least try it.

Nostalgia seems to be a significant part of the Holiday Season for many people, myself included. I recently found myself thinking of the day I moved here last November…a light snow had fallen the night before and everything looked pristine. In the early morning hours, we decided breakfast was a good idea before we got too serious about putting our belongings away, and decided to walk downtown to the Pastry Shoppe to get a bite to eat. Walking along in the light chill of the morning, I found myself thinking that if Norman Rockwell was still alive, he’d have been living in Lanesboro!

Quaint and quiet, I was awestruck by the beauty and somewhat overwhelmed by the emotion this community inspired in me. I was feeling as if I had finally “come home.” I could hear the occasional scrape of a shovel against the sidewalk, reminding me that despite appearances, we weren’t completely alone…in fact, as we walked, quite a few of our new neighbors came out of their homes, introduced themselves, chatted for a bit, and made us feel welcome to our new community.

When I have mentioned that experience to people since then, I have often told them that I made more friends in that 3 hour walk than I did in 35 years of living in the Twin Cities. It’s just one of the many things that make Lanesboro special. I knew we had made a great decision in choosing to join this community. Our soon-to-be Mayor, Robin Krom, recently summed up the feelings this community creates in its residents rather well, as he stated that for him, coming to Lanesboro “felt like a hug.” I wholeheartedly agree!

I think we are all blessed to live in this community together, and a big part of it is that “hug” we feel. Probably even more important is the community’s willingness to share that “hug” with new residents and visitors throughout the year. It is a big part of what has made us a tourism and residential destination for so many.

If you are newer resident or vistor to Lanesboro, I would love to know what attracted you to the area, and if you were born/grew up here, I’d love to learn why you’ve stayed. Please share a “feel good” line or two in the reply area below and I will post them over the Holiday Season!